


guardian angel

by Azaisya



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Taz spoilers, takes place between the memory wipe and glamour springs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 09:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11354730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azaisya/pseuds/Azaisya
Summary: Taako's convinced he has a guardian angel.Lucretia promised to look out for them. For all of them.





	guardian angel

**Author's Note:**

> god that episode killed me
> 
> here's just a super short thing that i wrote and edited in the last hour bc that episode was just. so good. i love lucretia.

Taako was certain he had a guardian angel.

Now, he didn't believe in guardian angels. He knew well enough that the only person that he could trust was himself -- and only himself -- and so it was a little disconcerting to realize that somebody was looking out for him.

His first hint was that one night at the tavern, when Taako had drunk a little too much and held his tongue not quite enough. The ensuing fight had been _legendary_.

(But he forgot most of it the next morning in the wake of a pounding headache and a throat drier than a desert)

He'd just stumbled outside, bleeding from a cut on his forehead and limping from what felt like at least three broken toes, when a massive man had come up behind him. Taako had been drunk enough to forget that his magic conveniently shorted out when he got drunk and so of _course_ he'd stood his ground.

The broken bottle the man had ben wielding cut a shallow scratch on Taako's cheekbone, but then he went crashing to the ground before he could land another nlow. Taako stared dumbly at him and then snorted. "Fuckin' amateur," he slurred, prodding the dark spot on his back with the tip of his boot.

Too late, he realized that the rapidly spreading dark spot was blood. The wound reeked of magic.

Alarm bells ringing in his head, Taako spun on his heel. Several buildings down the road, a distortion in the air flickered and Taako watched as his savior's Invisibility spell ran out just in time for him to see the back of their robe whip around a street corner. 

* * *

 

The second time, he'd been preparing the ingredients for that afternoon's show. With a sinking realization, he realized that he was missing several key spices. As he upended the last of the fruit baskets, he realized that he was missing _lots_ of key ingredients.

"Oh, hell no," he swore, remembering the kid he'd paid to run errands for him because he'd been busy spreading word of this performance.

" _Oh, hell fucking no!_ " he amended once he found the rest of his money missing too.

With a groan, he ran his hand through his hair. He couldn't afford to mess up this show; New Eresdale was a huge town and he needed the publicity.

_He didn't have time for this._

Resolving to just steal the ingredients he needed, Taako darted out the door of his wagon and promptly tripped and fell flat on his face.

Now thoroughly annoyed, he sat up to give whatever it was a piece of his mind. To his surprise, it was a basket, tied shut with a blue ribbon.

Warily, one hand tensed to cast a warding spell (just in case), Taako leaned forwards and pulled off the ribbon. The basket fell open, revealing a veritable treasure trove of ingredients.

Taako's jaw dropped and he looked around suspiciously. People didn't generally give things unless they wanted something in return. Nobody was nearby, save for a figure sitting nearly two blocks away. But they were engrossed in a heavy book and didn't seem inclined to get up anytime soon.

With a shrug, Taako picked up the basket and hurried back inside. If whoever had left it wanted something, then it was their loss. They should've left a note. 

* * *

 

The third time, he'd just been attacked by bandits. Taako would normally have just blasted all of them to the moon and back, but they caught him by surprise. The first bandit got a good hit in, and Taako wasn't made to take hits like that.

He went down quickly after that, but not before taking three of them down with him. Blearily, struggling not to pass out from the pain, Taako attempted to get his feet under him to continue fighting.

But he slipped in his own blood and went crashing down again. One of the few remaining bandits leveled a bow at his face, and Taako realized with a sinking feeling that he was toast. Fan-fucking-tastic.

But somehow, miraculously, a shield of silvery light exploded around Taako, quickly arcing up and around him until it completely cut him off from the bandits. Taako gaped as the bandit's arrow shattered against the shield.

_"Holy mackerel."_

He passed out not long after, and awoke to find the road suspiciously empty, save for two healing potions left innocently at his side. 

* * *

 

He lost count after that. His guardian angel wasn't infallible; there were plenty of times where it would've been great to have a little help and they -- whoever they were -- completely failed to show up. They appeared at completely random intervals, sometimes visiting even when Taako was perfectly content and needed nothing. Over the years, he got very good at sensing their presence, as elusive as they were.

They were there the night he met Sazed, and they were there during Candlenights, and they were there after the rockslide that nearly crushed the wagon -- and also Taako and Sazed -- to death.

It was during a visit to a small fishing town called Relintin that he finally met them. While Sazed was off looking for a place to buy new horses, Taako was scoping for a place to hold the show. The best place seemed to be a large platform by a well in the center of the village, and he was examining the square when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

He was being watched.

Warily, he turned a full circle, pretending to merely be examining the platform again. Almost immediately, his eyes caught on a cloaked figure with a staff wandering aimlessly towards the edge of the square.

Casually, Taako tore himself away and mingled with the various villagers, slowly approaching the figure.

They didn't notice.

He waited until he was right behind them before speaking. "Hail and well met, m'dude."

The figure jumped nearly a foot into the air and whirled around, revealing a woman with long brown hair and olive skin. The eerie _offness_ of her appearance gave her glamour away for what it was. Upon recognizing him, her eyes widened and her skin turned ashen. "T-Taako!"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Yeah, it's cha boi Taako. From TV." He knew immediately that she was the one who'd been following him all these years, although he couldn't explain how or why. "What's your name, darling?"

She looked deeply uncomfortable at that, taking a step back and swallowing hard. "Lu- Lucy. Yeah. Lucy." His eyebrows rose even further, but she met his eyes without flinching. They were brilliantly blue, and vaguely familiar.

Taako tried to follow that train of thought, wondering where he would've seen her before, but his brain staticked out and he gave up. "Yeah, okay, cool." He didn't really care what her name was.

But didn't he? At least a little bit? He couldn't tell.

He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved to learn that his guardian angel was an actual person and not some otherworldly being.

"So why've you been following me?"

She took a step backwards. "I haven't--"

Taako snorted, cutting her off. "Yeah, you totally have. Don't try to bullshit me, darling."

She sighed and deflated. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd noticed."

"You haven't exactly been subtle," Taako informed her drily.

Something strange crossed her eyes, something impossibly sad and tired. "I'm just a fan," she said, voice suddenly calm.

Taako thought back, trying to remember when he'd first noticed her. He was pretty sure he'd been drunk, because the details were a little fuzzy. He couldn't rememeber whether he'd had the show back then or how long ago it'd been. "Huh. Is that so."

She nodded fervently. "I love your recipes, by the way. They're really--" She trailed off, casting around for an adjective. "--elaborate."

"Huh." Taako narrowed his eyes at her. Yes, she was definitely wearing a glamour. Just visible beneath the hem of her cloak, her hands were white where she clutched her staff.

If she was telling the truth, and she really was just a fan, it could just be nerves.

Somehow, Taako doubted that. He opened his mouth to say so, to ask her just who she was and why she'd been helping him, when she suddenly backed up.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go." She seemed to want to say something else, eyes full of longing, but she finally settled on, "Thank you. I'm really, really glad I got to see you. Y-you have no _idea_ , Taako. Thank you. Please. I hope- I hope you're happy." And then she was gone, vanished into the many alleys and side streets that made up this tiny fishing village.

 

Later, Taako would try to tell Sazed about her in a vain attempt to bride the gap that was rapidly growing between them. Try as he might, he failed to remember what she'd said or what she'd looked like.

"It's just . . . staticy," he said, attempting to laugh it off.

Sazed just shrugged.

Their next stop was Glamour Springs. He never saw her again.

 

(But he did, and she was dressed in blue and white finery and she sat upon a throne on a moon and he didn't recognize her.)

 

(But she recognized him. God, how she recognized him.)


End file.
